Taiyohime Shinoda
| image = | race = - Hybrid | birthplace = | birthday = September 8th | age = 900+ (Appears 9) | gender = Female | height = 115 cm (3'8) | weight = 31 kg (70 lbs) | eye color = Green (Jade) | hair color = Blond (Formerly) Silver | measurements = 19-13-22 | affiliation =Shinoda Clan | previous affiliation = | profession = Shinoda Clan Matriarch Ascetic | previous profession = Head of the Shinoda Clan | division = | previous division = | partner = | previous partner = | base of operations = Shinoda Clan Temple Summit of Mt.Senjo | relatives =Marielle Schrödinger (Mother) Strahd von Zarovich (Godfather) Saitou Shinoda (God-son) | education =Strahd von Zarovich (Master) | shikai = Komorebi | bankai = Amaterasu no Joukou | roleplay debut = | series debut = Matsunami Gaiden | english = (Child) (Adult) | japanese = (Child) (Adult) }} "True strength is defeating an opponent without fighting" - Taiyohime Shinoda Taiyohime Kuriyue Shinoda no Choujo (篠田 長女 苦理故 太陽姫, Shinoda no Chōjo Kuriyue Taiyōhime) known politically as "Shinōda no Chōujō" (篠田の長女, lit. "First Daughter of the Shinoda Clan") or through reputation simply as "Taiyōin" (太陽院, Sun Empress) is the former first Head and current Matriarch of the Shinoda Clan. Born less than a century after the first Quincy Bloodwar to Marielle Schrödinger and Sojiro Hoshin, Taiyohime is possibly the first - hybrid in existence. Due to her mixed lineage, her parents sheltered her away fearing for her safety, cutting her off from the rest of , and spending the majority of time training so she can become strong enough to protect herself. Being a child who possessed the strength of both of her parent races, Taiyohime's potential was boundless. The combination of her prodigious talents, innate potential, and driving motivation has birthed, even by Quincy standards, one of the most powerful manipulators the world has ever known. Taiyohime is, without question, the most influential member of the Shinoda clan. Considered by many within the family to be the heart and soul of the clan, Taiyohime has been shaping the clan's history since its inception. After having her life saved by Kotsuzui Shinoda, she created the Muken-Ryu, a hand-to-hand combat style that is practiced by almost every member of the clan today. She personally inducted Nikolai Rasputin into the clan despite reservations from the clan founders, an action she would regret later in her life. Additionally, she would become Saitou Shinoda's godmother mentoring him and teaching him the value of family and life. He would carry on her teachings centuries later by defying Nobunaga Shinoda and abandoning the clan to protect his sister. In the final arc of Matsunami Gaiden, she becomes Matsunami Shinoda's master, helping her master her rebooted and teaching her the Reishi bending ways of the Shinoda clan. As an individual, Taiyohime never stopped growing. During the Clan Wars era, she wandered Soul Society acting as the Shinoda clan's diplomat. Throughout her travels, she has met individuals from every walk of life and has carried with her fragments of all that she has learned from every encounter. It is the summation of her knowledge and experiences that make Taiyohime such a powerful force of change to the spiritual world. Everywhere she went, she planted seeds of change by 'changing the destiny' of every individual she encountered. Time has shaped her into a figure of immense knowledge and sagely wisdom, earning her the monicker "Little Buddha" (仏小, Butsuko). Appearance Taiyohime is a striking woman that betrays her age when it comes to appearance. While many souls that grow as old as she are able to slow their aging, she has all but stopped the process. A biological gift from both her bloodlines, Taiyohime has achieved what can essentially be called biological immortality. Her almost legendary mastery of Reishi Manipulation has allowed her to manipulate her body at the cellular level. This has locked her appearance in time, blessing Taiyohime with the youthful looks of a girl no older than nine. Ever since she unlocked the secret to deathlessness, Taiyohime’s features has remained pristine and unchanged for centuries. Despite having lived and worked underneath the sun for centuries, her skin has not darkened at all. Her complexion is the same milky pale color it was at her birth. It is thus soft at the touch, something surprising given that most find that they cannot cut her. The few wounds she has suffered in her life have also all healed perfectly. Scars do not bubble to the surface when a wound closes, nor do birthmarks, burn injuries, nor any other dangers pose a permanent threat to her complexion. Constantly manipulating the Reishi that comprises her being and replacing her aging cells, Taiyohime has never experienced puberty. Her face is still round with baby fat, her body straight and underdeveloped, and her height clocking in at three foot and eight inches. This unintimidating appearance has caused more than one soul to underestimate the former clan head, and on her travels she has found that most of the people in the Rukongai, unable to sense spiritual pressure, treat her like the child she appears to be. Though once upon a time this bothered her, she has since grown used to it. Taiyohime’s face is one that shows the maturity she has attained after centuries of life. It is perfectly asymetrical and carries a beauty with it that few can match. Framed by rolling locks of silver--yet another trait gained from her immortality--it is not too sharp nor too soft, with a small nose, full lips, and the solemn green eyes of her mother. These eyes, always half-lidded as if tired or relaxed, are unique amongst the Shinoda. Taiyohime’s immense spiritual power has blessed this emerald stare so that they shine brightly, even if no other light is available. This striking feature has only grown more vibrant over the years, captivating those that have met Taiyohime by chance and leaving a lasting impression on those that grew to know her. As an ascetic, Taiyohime’s dress is nowhere near as extravagant as it once was. At the base is her Shihakushō (死覇装, lit. "Garment of Dead Souls"). This particular outfit holds a significant meaning for her. While most simply see “Shinigami” when they see her, the white Shitagi (下着, lit. "Under Clothing") and Kosode (小袖, lit. "Small Sleeve") reminds Taiyohime of her Quincy heritage. Because of this she has come to hold the Shihakushō in high regard, and washes, stitches, and otherwise cleans it daily during her travels. Around her uniform, Taiyohime wears a garment unique to the Shinoda, the Haori of Reishi Supression. This haori, normally a deep crimson lined in gold, features bellowing sleeves and reaches down to Taiyohime’s ankles. On the back rest the octagon-shaped crest of the house, normally hidden by the large beige cloak Taiyohime wears over her outfit. It wraps around the girl protectively, and the hood allows her to hide her face should conspicuousness be desired. Lastly, Taiyohime wears a pair of black, leather clothes, durable enough to have survived the hundreds of years she has been traveling the . Personality Born from parents who wanted nothing but peace, Taiyohime’s heart is one of gold. Her entire life has been one of kindness to those who needed it, and forgiveness to those that have sinned. Many compare her to the sun she was named after; people seem to gravitate towards Taiyohime regardless of age, gender, race, or background. Like the stars and planets, they revolve around her, pulled in and pushed away without a say in the matter. Though unintentional, Taiyohime has come to realize this, and she uses it to better the lives of those who cross paths with her. In Taiyohime’s mind, it is her solemn duty to use the abilities she was blessed with to help those she encounters. Naturally, Taiyohime is a very bubbly girl. As a child she was energetic and active, playing with others, exploring the mountains, and getting into more trouble than she had a right too. While some initially perceive her as ditzy or simple-minded, Taiyohime is also incredibly smart. She watches the world around her with an excited and open mind, breathing in the wonders it has to offer and moving on gleefully when satisfied. Despite her age, she is still much the same. Taiyohime never outgrew her curiosity, nor her enjoyment of jokes, pranks, and adventure. It is part of the reason why she continues to travel the Soul Society centuries after passing on leadership of her clan. This kind heart has gotten Taiyohime into trouble before. As one who has become close with hundreds of other souls, the former clan head knows what it means to be personally hurt very well. More than seven centuries of life has taken her to the highest mountains, deepest oceans, and furthest stretches of the Rukongai. She has lent her soul out time and time again, given the clothes off her back for others, and made countless sacrifices for the common man. No matter how much pain she must endure as a result, when Taiyohime she’s the smiles she brings and watches as those she touches pay their love forward, it gives her the greatest sense of satisfaction. Even for the sinful and rotten, such as Kaiser, the man Strahd advised her to avoid and who is capable of great atrocities, was taken in by Taiyohime and even allowed to become the Second Clan Head. But despite her giving and merciful nature, Taiyohime is no fool. Her defense mechanisms have evolved not to defend herself from personal injury, but to ensure that she can go on to help more people. She will not shut down when faced with adversity or rejected, but she has learned that one cannot force a horse to drink and never to press the matter. As such, she does not dwell on disasters that occur beyond her control. But this maturity did not come to her for free. Taiyohime’s kind heart, carrying a compassion unmatched, is watered by the belief that even the most evil can redeem themselves. Because she let Kaiser go at the conclusion of Matsunami Gaiden, he was able to come back and become one of the greatest threats the spiritual world has ever seen; a failure that the Shinoda as a whole paid the price for. It is only through meditation and knowing that tomorrow is always a fresh day that Taiyohime is able to accept the many stumbles she has suffered on her path. When Taiyohime feels that she, her loved ones, or anything she has created is threatened, she grows somber and quiet. Long ago did she learn the pain of killing others, of knowing that she had just ended someone’s path to greatness with her own hands. And long ago she also came to realize that sometimes, execution was the only answer. Thus it is with a heavy heart that Taiyohime draws her blade. She often avoids combat when she can, preferably seeking to talk out her problems or to find other solutions. Even after winning, it is rare that Taiyohime will take a life. She may cripple someone spiritually, or even remove a limb, but it is only when pushed to the absolute brink of desperation will Taiyohime break her code and carve out her foe’s heart. The maturity to look to the future, stay one’s blade, and to forgive even the most heinous has resulted in Taiyohime becoming an incredibly wise woman. While many do not expect it, the pearls of wisdom that come from the little girl’s mouth are polished by centuries of experience. Not unlike the mythical Buddha or the famed Confucius, her advice has guided the hearts of many towards leading a better life and improving oneself drastically. In Taiyohime’s eyes, her words are the seeds needed to turn the ripe field of the universe into the beautiful forest of enlightenment. No matter who a person may be, Taiyohime disregards it and sows these seeds into them with her words and actions. In places she has passed through, nicknames have been given to her by the locales who don’t know her name. Among the numerous titles, the most famous of these monickers is "Little Buddha". History Equipment *'Issaikyō' (一切経, lit. "Complete Buddhist Scriptures"): Taiyohime carries with her scrolls containing the words of Siddhārtha Gautama and the various tenets of Buddhism. Given to her by Kotsuzui Shinoda during her tutelage of Baguazhang, Taiyohime has since applied its teachings to gain a deeper understanding of the nature of man and the world around her. *'Haori of Reishi Supression' (霊子抑制の羽織, Reishi Hakusei no Haori): Woven from the same material as the Quincy’s , the iconic symbol of the Shinoda Clan is a creation of its founder: Strahd von Zarovich. Red in color, this add-on is usually worn over the standard Shihakushō. This heirloom however is more than a just a clan relic, it is a training tool. The haori operates by repelling reishi, acting as an instrument used to suppress the wearer’s manipulation of Reishi. Those who wear it will find that they themselves are suppressed, more specifically the reishi that comprises their being, which acts as a spiritual weight to hold them down. Once a Shinoda member reaches the rank of Master, they are given the Reishi Hakusei no Haori to prepare them for the next stretch of their clan training. By anchoring their soul down and suppressing their ability to bend Reishi while training, users who take off the haori will find a noticeably significant increase in their power in battle and an even greater ease and proficiency in their ability to command Reishi. *'Shinoda Clan Medallion': Crafted by Marielle Schrodinger, the medallion carries the crest of the Shinoda clan. Due to the clan being founded by former members of the Sternritter, the appearance of the Shinoda Clan medallion is reminiscent of the of the Wandenreich. Metallic in colour and consisting of a steel chain attached to a silver pendant about the size of a person’s palm, the medallion is visual representation of a member’s mastery over the clan’s Uragetsu Kaiho technique. Generally worn by members of master-rank and above, the medallion is also an indicator of a person’s power since Shinoda Clan rank is measured by a person’s mastery of Reishi Manipulation. *'The Art of War': Written by the legendary Sun Tzu, The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military text emphasizing military tactics and responding to the flow of war. It is not enough to simply plan a strategy in a controlled environment, one must be quick to act in the heat of battle, a stage of constantly changing conditions. To Taiyohime, being a leader means that there will come a time when words will not be enough to avoid conflict and that war is inevitable. Without ever needing to get the Shinoda Clan involved, Taiyohime manipulated the flow of wars in her favor. During her travels for diplomacy at the time of the Clan Wars era, she would lend aid by leading doomed armies to decisive victory. By helping smaller clans win battles against the much larger Kusanagi Clan, she helped changed the outcome of the entire war. Powers & Abilities Crushing Spiritual Pressure: Legendary Grandmaster Reishi Manipulator: :Complete Reishi Dominance: :Biological Immortaility: :Blut (血装 (ブルート), burūto; German for "Blood", Japanese for "Blood Guise"): :*'Blut Vene' (静血装 (ブルート・ヴェーネ), burūto vēne; German for "Blood Vein", Japanese for "Stilled Blood Guise"): Legendary Reiryoku Control: :Immense Strength: :Immense Durability: :Immense Speed: Master Zanjutsu Specialist: :Acrobatics: :Scythe-wielding Specialist: :Junjō no Gintama (純情の銀魂, Pure Heart of the Silver Soul): Master Hakuda Practitioner: :Muken Ryu (無拳流, Void-Fist Style): Master Hirankyaku Practitioner: :Hyperspeed Combat: Immense Stamina: Moderate Endurance: Enhanced Reflexes: :Accelerated Perception: Genius-level Intellect: :Immense Wisdom and Insight: :Master Strategist and Tactician: :Highly Perceptive Combatant: Enhanced Spiritual Awareness: Multilingual: Zanpakutō Komorebi (木漏れ日, lit. "Sunlight Filtering Through the Trees") is the name of Taiyohime's Zanpakutō. Komorebi is an absolutely gorgeous Zanpakutō, forged from the heat of Taiyohime’s soul. Her passions manifested along the Hamon (刃文, lit. "Etching along the Blade's Edge") of the katana. The wave patterns are jagged and curved, much like flames themselves, and glint gold underneath the sun. An almost mystical aura wraps the steel, and as such when any light hits it, the blade seems to shine. Whenever Taiyohime feels strong emotions, the brightness intensifies. Komorebi's guard is themed like the rest of the Zanpakutō. It is forged out of ruby, forming a disk with eight spokes of white diamonds, shaped to match that of a sun’s own rays. Much like the blade itself, they burn brightly when Taiyohime is excited. Komorebi’s guard is wrapped rayskin, with two sunburst Menuki (目貫, lit. "Sword Hilt Ornament") to cover the pegs. It is in turn wrapped in ruby-red silk, soft to the hand and hot to those that are not Taiyohime. Capping Komorebi’s hilt is another white diamond. While an extravagant sword by all means, Taiyohime understands that she cannot carry such a weapon around openly during her travels. Thus she has it sealed with Kidō in the form of an umbrella. The folds are red, much like her haori, and it is kept open almost perpetually to shade her from the sun above, or the weather when it gets rough. Inner World The world of Komorebi is one that most would not expect. It is a world of darkness, where no light exists. When Taiyohime first entered this realm, she found herself lost. It was not until she learned that the world was dark because she was the light could she see, and thus she serves as the sun for her inner world. When she enters now, she illuminates a magnificent forest that stretches as far as the eye can see. She sits atop a massive pillar of diamond that amplifies the light she produces and scatters it across the world even further. Komorebi herself is a unique spirit. She is the light that eminates from Taiyohime, and is quite literally the sunlight that filters through the trees. Komorebi is a very wise spirit, and those close to Taiyohime believe her to be the reincarnation of some ancient being from years past. She has guided Taiyohime throughout her life, speaking to her with emotions and images instead of words or riddles. The two have become so close that they can have entire conversations in just moments of interacting with one another. When Taiyohime enters into Bankai, Komorebi changes. Everything in the inner world radiates brightly, and thus Komorebi becomes the light of all things. Though Taiyohime rarely sees her Zanpakutō’s spirit in this form, seeing it once has forever changed the former Shinoda Head’s view of her powers. It is rare that Taiyohime is forced to draw her Zanpakutou. Having traveled the world for so long, things such as battles or conflicts have become almost foreign to her. Those that remember Taiyohime’s Shikai remember it as an incomplete shadow of what it is now. Centuries of perfecting the relationship between Shinigami and Zanpakutō has allowed her to call-forth the blade without the need of reciting its release command, however, she has been known to still do it in order to pay respects to Komorebi. The release command of Taiyohime's Zanpakutō is "Guide all of creation" (嚮導 万象, Kyōdō Banshō). Spinning her Zanpakutō around her wrist, Taiyohime’s spiritual pressure begins to increase. The blade burns gold and enlongates, changing shape until Taiyohime catches it to end the transformation. Gone is the katana; replacing it is an elegant scythe of pure gold. The length of the staff proper is six and a half feet, gilded along the length and strong enough to smash bones and boulders alike. The butt of the scythe is impossible to make out; here it burns the brightest, and only a chain of gilded links can be seen falling from it. The head of the scythe suffers naught from this problem. A sunburst rests at the top, etched with the Kanji for “Hope.” Extending from it is the wicked blade of Komorebi, gilded like the rest of the Zanpakutō, with a fin attached to the top. So bright is Komorebi that underneath the light of the sun it represents, it is impossible to stare directly at the blade; doing so harms the eyes of those foolish enough to do so. This is a testament to the incredible power both Komorebi and her wielder possess. Shikai Abilities: Manjitsu: Genwaku Shougeki (Full Sun: Blinding Crash) - Manjitsu: Genwaku Shougeki is the primary offensive ability of Komorebi. Spinning the scythe in the air in front of her, Komorebi creates a complete circle of golden light. This light is suddenly filled in and becomes a blast of epic proportions. Anything caught within the beam is horribly burned, their eyes blinded, and their internal fluids boiled. Essentially, anything caught in the Blinding Crash is more than likely dead after suffering a single blow from it. As a result, Taiyohime has since taken to not using her Shikai’s primary weapon. Her uninterest in murdering others means that the Genwaku Shougeki is only used in extreme situations, when force is the only answer. Given it’s nature as light, it also flows over and through most defenses, making it nigh unblockable. Hanjitsu: Afure Hikari (Half Sun: Overflowing Light - Hanjitsu Afure Hikari is a weakened version of it’s parent technique, the Blinding Crash. Performed by merely swinging the scythe, Komorebi releases a thin blade of light from the fin on top of the actual blade. This blade travels extremely quickly, and upon impact, turns into an explosion of overflowing light. Anything caught within the blast is blinded and burned, but not nearly as badly as from the Genwaku Shougeki. Given Taiyohime’s reiatsu, she is still capable of taking out even lieutenants with a single strike from Afure Hikari. The kinetic force of the blast is capable of repelling attacks, allowing it to serve as a defense. Likewise, manipulating the length and width of the Afure Hikari allows for numerous possibilities. By striking the ground Taiyohime could create a wall of impassable light, or by moving it around her could create a ring that no one could enter. As such, Afure Hikari is her goto Shikai technique due to its versatility. Battles & Events Quotes Trivia